Signs are promising

JOE Royle believes Monday’s 1-1 draw against Crewe Alexandra at Boundary Park was the latest step on the road to a better future. Having watched his side surrender the lead, handed to them by Reuben Hazell’s 41st minute header, Royle pronounced himself happy enough with his players’ performance.

JOE Royle believes Monday’s 1-1 draw against Crewe Alexandra at Boundary Park was the latest step on the road to a better future.

Having watched his side surrender the lead, handed to them by Reuben Hazell’s 41st minute header, Royle pronounced himself happy enough with his players’ performance.

Nevertheless, his squad were warned that there was still lots of room for improvement.

Royle said: "There’s a lot to be pleased with. I think the shoots of recovery were well and truly there. We played a lot of good football, we scored a good goal and we had four chances in the second half where the ball has gone across the box. Therein lies our problem, we’ve let sides off when we’re on top. As a centre-forward, I know that if Neal Eardley has the ball at his feet, I’m going to be running into the box but we don’t think ‘goals’. Deane Smalley, for example, has to have an end product. If he’s a wide player, he has to get crosses in but if he’s a striker, he has to get goals. We have too many front players who want to play out wide instead of in the box."

Eardley, along with Kieran Lee, was one of the shining lights at Boundary Park with the pair combining well down the right-hand side.

The Welsh international has returned to arguably something approaching his best form in recent weeks with Monday’s performance coming on the back of his equaliser at Carlisle United three days earlier.

Royle said: "Neal has played very well in the last three games, Sean Gregan has been excellent, while Stefan Stam and Reuben Hazell have both done fine. Kieran Lee came in and had a fantastic start, but he blew up through a lack of fitness because we don’t have a reserve side and it’s hurting us. That’s something we have to deal with that for next year. At the end of the day though, the game’s finished 1-1 and it should have been three points."